American Friends of Bethlehem Development Foundation

12/03/2024

Dear Friend,



This GivingTuesday, we’re excited to share how you can make a meaningful impact in Bethlehem. Together, we can bring joy and support to communities in need this Christmas season through these three important initiatives:



1. Providing Christmas Gifts to Children in Bethlehem

Help bring smiles to children this Christmas by contributing to provide gifts for those who might otherwise go without. Every contribution brightens the season for these young hearts.



2. Supporting Orphanages in Crisis

Local orphanages in Palestine are struggling as donations have significantly decreased due to the tourism downturn. Your support is urgently needed to ensure these homes can continue to care for the children who depend on them.



3. Assisting Traditional Christian Handcraft Shops

Many families in Bethlehem rely on selling handmade crafts to tourists. However, with tourism down by 39.7% in 2024 (PCBS), these artisans face severe financial challenges. Supporting their work helps preserve Palestinian culture and provides much-needed economic relief to struggling families.



How You Can Help:

Donate: Your generosity directly supports these initiatives. Click here to make a Donation

12/07/2023

Christmas in Palestine is cancelled this year. Yes, you heard that correctly. All Christmas celebrations in Bethlehem, Jerusalem and throughout the Holy Land have been cancelled due to the ongoing war in Gaza.

We at the Bethlehem Development Foundation (BDF) and the American Friends of the Bethlehem Development Foundation (AFBDF), a U.S. 501c (3) organization dedicated to the development of the Holy Region of Bethlehem, and the restoration of the Church of the Nativity, are standing in solidarity with Christians throughout the Middle East who have cancelled Christmas celebrations due the devastating conditions faced by Palestinians, particularly in Gaza.

From the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, where Jesus Christ was born, we are calling on the world to join us in our Prayer for Peace. From Bethlehem, we send a message of hope, love, and peace amidst the grave reality of war, sadness, and loss of life.

Bethlehem is worth the effort to visit, but if you can’t be there this year, we are bringing Bethlehem to you. We invite you to join our exhibit in the United States about the very place Jesus was born. Bethlehem Reborn Palestine: The Wonders of the Nativity, a multimedia exhibition that shares the artistic beauty, the historical significance, and the spiritual message of the Church of the Nativity. Bethlehem Reborn is presently at the Museum of the Bible, in Washington, D.C., from November 6, 2023, until April 28, 2024."

09/12/2023

Today at 06:00 pm Palestine time. 05:00 pm CET Time. Please join us for the live streaming of the opening ceremony of the Exhibition “Bethlehem Reborn" at the World Council of Churches Ecumenical center in Geneve. You can watch the live opening ceremony on the link below:

04/09/2023

He is risen 🙌🏼 happy Easter

11/29/2022

Donate here: https://afbdf.org/funding-needs/make-a-gift/

11/16/2022

12/22/2021

One of the world’s first churches is undergoing major renovations. It’s in Bethlehem and despite COVID limiting visitors, the church’s spiritual life remains strong.

11/09/2021

https://www.christianpost.com/voices/we-must-restore-the-church-of-the-nativity.html

The year before the COVID-19 pandemic devastated the globe, the numbers of visitors to the Church of the Nativity was unlike any we had ever seen. The queue went all around the inside of the church, all the way back to Manger Square outside the church, and the wait to get inside was three hours long...